Electrical switch box



1,516,736 H. E. KAMMERER ELECTRICAL SWITCH BOX Filed Dec. 18. 1920 Z'zh Patented Nov. 25, 1924.

HERBERT E. KAMMERER, Ol? LOS ANGELES, CAIFORNIA.

ELECTRICAL SVJITCH BOX.

Application. filed December 18, 1920. Serial No. 431,602.

To f/,ZZ wiz/m it may concern:

lle it known that I, HERBERT E. KAM- arnnen. a citizen of the United States, residing' at Los ngeles,v in the county of Los Angreles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrical Switch Boxes, ot which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrical switch boxes and more particularly to that type ot box which is provided with. a door adaptedi to be locked in order that access to the switch may be had only by an authorized person..

The main obiect ot my invention is to r provide a switch boX of the character above described, having a suitable switch controllingl handle extending outside of said box, a nd whereby the door thereof may not be opened until the switch has been operated to break the circuit, and said switch may not be operated to close the circuit until said door has been closed, thus preventing the switch from being operated to either open or close the circuit until the door is closed, as well as eliminating the danger of the operator receiving a shock when adjusting t'uses or other parts of the mechanism.

@ther objects will appear in the following` description., will be pointed out in the 0 claims. and will be embodied in the accompanying; drawings. in which:

lFig'. 1 is a vertical section through a switch box showingr the application ol. my invention.

Vig. 2 is a trontview ol a lraginental part ot the same.

Fie'. is a transverse section through part ot the boX. taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. showing; more clearly certain 'features of my invention.

Fin', 4 is a transverse section through the box. taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Figi". 5 is a vertical tragniental. section, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

In carrying out my invention represents a switch boX preferably formed of sheet iron which is provided with a swinging; door 11, hinged at 12 (see Fig. 4).

Secured to the rear wall of boX 10 is the insulating block 13, upon which is mounted an electrical switch 14. of usual construction. which comprises the blades 15, hinged at 16 to the terminals 17, and the contact liaws 18. The blades are joined together by means of the bar 19 oit' insulating materiah and are adapted to be swung on hinges 16, to open or close the circuit by means et a bell crank lever 2()9 which is pivoted at 21 to one of: the side walls ot the box 10., and is provided with a rocker bar 22 at its top end, which extends transversely across said box and having a depending;` arm 23, which is pivoted at 24 opposite the pivot 21. to the opposite side of said boX. rEhe rocker bar 22 is connected to the blades 15 `by means ot a link 25, the opposite end of which being;- pivoted to a bracket 2th secured to bar 19.

To the lower end of lever is pivoted at 27. one end ot a link Q8, the opiiiosite end of which is pivoted at 29 to the lower end 30 ol' the operating lever 31:, which is provided with a suitable handle 32. Then the switch blades 15 are in a position to close the circuit the lever 31 extends downwardly from handle 32 in substantially a vertical position tor a suitable distance, and then makes substantially a ri ght angular turn and passes into box 10 through a vertically disposed slot 33 .in the door 11. the slot extending downwardly for a suitable distance and terminating; in a horizontally disposed slot 34, which extends to the tree edge of door 11. The lever 31 is pivoted at 35 to one of the side walls of box 10.

In order that slot 83 may be kept covered up at all times when the handle 32 is moved, a shield member 3S is pivoted to the inside ol door 11 and adapted to project over said slot and to be secured to the lever ill by means of a notch 37 f'ormed therein. into which said lever engages.

Pivotcd to the side wall o't boxY 10 at 918. is an upstandinn' har 39 provided at its npner end with a notched tlane'e 40, which is adapted to project under the lower end ot arm ot lever 5&1. and in ali Qjnnient therewith. and to be held rearwardly and out of the path of travel of the lower end ot said arm against the tension o'l a spring 41. by means ot a lue; 42 secured to the inner wall ot door 11. when said door is closed. The bar 39 is shielded b v means ot a plate 43 which is secured to the side wall of boX 10 in order that it may be manipulated only by the lug' 42 and spring 41.

The door 11. adjacent its lower end, is provided with a second slot 44 adapted to receive the tree end ot a latch member 45, which is pivoted at 46 to the outside of one of the walls of box 1(7). and said latch is prof) im! vided with the hooi; 47 adapted to engage with the outer surface of said door and hold the saine tightly in closed position. In order that the door 1l may be locked in a closed position against the inquisitiveness ot an unauthorized person, the latch 45 is provided with a perforation 48 tl'irough which an ordinary padlock (not shown) may be passed.

By referring,` to Fig. l of the drawings it will be seen that when the door ll is closed, the handle 34 may be operated from the outside of the box at will to 1nanipulate the switch to open and close the cir cuit. It will also be observed that the door cannot be opened until. the lever 3l is lil-ought to a horizontal position which automatically operates the switch to break the circuit, due to the locking action of the lever ll when in a vertical position.

lli/*hen the lever 31 is brought to a horizontal position to permit the door to be openedr` the circuit is broken, and when the door is opened the lug' becomes at once disengaged with the bar 89, thereby permitting;v the spring il-l to draw said bar forwardly so that the flange l-O on bar 39 will rest under the end of arm 30, as clearly shown in dotted lines. By this construction it will be obvious that the switch will be locked and cannot be manipulated to close the circuit until the door ll is Closed.

lhat I claim is:

newness l, The combination with a receptacle pro- 'rided with a door and hai/mg;` an electrical switch mounted therein, of an operatiip handle pivoted in said box and adapted to project through a slot in said door to the outside olf said box, means 'For connecting` said lever to said switch, and a springl controlled latch mounted inside said bof; and operated by the movement ot said door adapted to engage with said lever to loch the saine from manipulation to close said switch when said door is open.

2. A salfety switch, comprising a recepiacle provided with a hinged cover, an cieclric switch mounted in said receptacle, :i switch operating); lever provided with a han die projecting); through a slot formed in the cover. a spring;l controlled arm mounted iu said receptacle adapted to Contact with the switch lever to lock the same against nioi'cment when the cover is swung' to an open position, and means secured to the corcr lior operatingl said spring' controlled arm to discug'ag'e thc same 'trom the switch lever ou a closing operation ot said cover. 'the slot in the cover through which the switch leve-r infojects beingy oil such 'form as to prevent the opening' ol. the door while the switch is in a closed position.

ln witness that l claim the foregoing lV have hereunto subscribed my name this 29th day of November.y 1920.

HERBERT E. KAMMERER. 

